This invention relates generally to loudspeaker systems and more particularly to loudspeaker systems for ceiling mounting applications.
In the prior art various loudspeakers have been disclosed and are commercially available for mounting in a ceiling. Such speakers tend to produce a flat frequency response and good dispersion only within a very confined field, e.g., ninety degrees off axis. Thus, prior art ceiling speakers are known to produce less than optimal sound throughout the room in which they are mounted and this is primarily due to the fact that conventional ceiling speakers are mounted so that they face directly downward. Moreover, due to their direct downward orientation conventional ceiling speakers are subject to reflections off the floor back to the ceiling, which frequently results in echo sound and concomitant uncomfortable acoustic conditions for the listener. Further still, prior art ceiling speakers are typically mounted behind a perforated metal cover, which tends to degrade the sound due to turbulence, interference and/or reflection.